The Legend of Zelda: Flame of Eternity
by WyldColt45
Summary: The Sequel to my incomplete Palace of Hope story. Several months after Colt comes out of his coma, a botched summoning spell pulls the love of his life into the land that was once Hyrule, so it's Colt to the rescue. Set six years after Wind Waker.
1. Threads of the Pattern

Author's note: This is the sequel to my Zelda fic, "Legend of Zelda: Palace of Hope." I know that at the time of this writing, I haven't finished it, but I know already how it ends. (I have an outline already... It's just a matter of sitting down and writing it.) Reading that fic is not necessary to understand and enjoy THIS story, yet it would help to understand a bit of the character himself.  
  
Warning: Maybe the story's a Mary-sue... Maybe not. I don't know, you can be the judge. If you find that it IS, in fact, too Mary-sue for your taste, I have three words for you. "I don't care." Honestly. If you have constructive criticism on my writing, great. I don't want reviews that say "Your story is a Mary-sue and I HATE Mary-sues!" To you, I say, "You were warned that it may be construed as a Mary-sue, and you read on ANYWAY. That makes you stupid, doesn't it?" Also, Colt is a HOMOSEXUAL CHARACTER! That's right. He's GAY. Guess what that means! If I decide to add a romantic aspect to this story, it will be SLASH. S-L-A-S-H. You have been warned. I will not be held responsible for homophobes reading past this point.  
  
Disclaimer: Ah... The compulsory disclaimer. Here goes. I own nothing! Any and all characters I create are MY property, so hands off, without express permission from the author. Namely me. As I have received no requests for use of my characters, I better not see them in anyone else's fic. No exceptions. Also, no archiving without permission. *Stops to catch his breath* And now, if everyone is clear on where we stand... My story:  
  
Chapter One: Threads of the Pattern  
  
*SPLASH!* The bus turned the corner, sending a wave of water cascading across the pavement. Deftly dodging the spray of mud, I muttered under my breath. Lately, it had seemed as though the world were conspiring against me. Perhaps I'd spent too much time being chased recently. In the REAL world, the bus doors swung open with a loud clank. Shaking my head, I pulled myself aboard. The driver watched me silently, barely waiting until I was fully up the steps before slamming the door shut and pulling away from the curb. I deposited the fare, and slumped into one of the nearby benches. The drab scenery drifted past the window dreamily, slowly, as the bus crawled its way down Topanga Blvd.  
  
"Lovely day, ain't it?" A voice, hinting vaguely of Texas, wafted up from behind me. I ignored it. I didn't know anyone on the bus, after all. Who would be speaking to me? "I SAID, lovely day, ain't it?" A finger jabbed me painfully in the back. I turned, my hand reaching reflexively to the sword that no longer adorned my back. *Great, Colt.* I chided myself. *Back a month, and you STILL aren't used to being unarmed.* I found myself face to face with a small, balding man with no truly distinctive features. He could have been anyone's uncle, or cousin. "Ain't it?" The man smiled at me; his crooked teeth and foul breath inspired me to scoot back a little.  
  
"No, sir. I'm not fond of the rain." I shrugged. "Bad memories." To say the least.  
  
"Ah. But the rain washes things clean." He laughed. The sound grated against my ears. "But you know about that, dontcha?"  
  
"I'm not sure I know what you mean," I stammered. But of course I did. The last time it had rained, I had ended up fraternizing with Hylians and Zoras. Not something anyone soon forgets.  
  
But he just smiled at me. " You should know, he won't wait for you. He'll keep living. Like the rest of them. They go about their insig'nif'cant lives, not knowing, refusing to see what you understand all to well." I groaned. Gods save us from Prophets that wax poetic. "When the time comes, can you do what needs to be done?" The western accent had faded into obscurity, and his toothy grin seemed forced.  
  
I arched an eyebrow, a move that took me months to perfect, and of which I am immensely proud. "Aren't you supposed to be an old geezer in ragged clothing? That's what I got LAST time. I figured it was a rule that all creepy riddle spouters had to be old and ragged." The man's vacant look vanished, and he gave me an alarmed look.  
  
"What the heck are you talking about?" He glanced longingly towards the bus door, as if he'd rather have braved the elements than talk to me, an obviously deranged individual. I sighed. Wasn't that the way of it? I guess questions were out of the question, excuse the pun.  
  
"Never mind. I thought you were... someone else." Someone sane, more like. He frowned at me, and quickly shifted himself to another bench. Ah, well. No lose there. His odor was offensive, anyway. I returned my attention to the window, musing over what I had just been told. He wouldn't wait for me? Who? And why would he wait for me, anyway? Was I going somewhere? I certainly hoped that wasn't the case. I needed to figure out my life as it was.  
  
Finally, the bus inched towards my stop. I reached up and pulled the cord, signaling the driver to stop. A curt 'thank you' and I was out in the rain again, staring up at a foreboding office building. Checking the slip of paper I had shoved into my pocket earlier that morning, I made my way into the vast foyer. The security guard, obviously perturbed that I had interrupted his soaps, gave me a quick once-over before nodding briskly, and motioning me towards a row of elevators. "Eighth floor. They're expecting you." Of course. They're ALWAYS expecting me.  
  
The office itself was cold and sterile. Cause it wouldn't do to get TOO comfortable. I might NEVER leave. Right. After a cursory glance at the light switches that adorned the wall by the door, I selected the one under the name "Kristine Nostradom." It was ironic, really. You'd think someone with a name like that would have a little more faith, wouldn't you?  
  
The magazines in the rack were all at least a year old, and I'd flipped through almost all of them. So I just contented myself with playing with the legos on the floor. Idly, I wondered if I could recreate a scale model of Hyrule castle. I had just finished the moat when the door opened and my therapist stuck her head out. "Colt? Come on in." I forced a smile, and stood, leaving the legos where they fell. Some other poor sap would surely enjoy playing with them, after all.  
  
The room we came to was just as plain and sterile as the waiting room, with only a picture on the wall to spruce it up. Even the couch seemed designed to create a feeling of numbness. I chose to sit on the floor. I can be difficult, if I want to. Kristine frowned at me. "Now, Colt. Let's not get off on the wrong foot. I'm afraid you have to sit on the furniture, so we can talk."  
  
I shook my head, stubbornly. "I'm comfortable." Sure, it's juvenile, but if I had to go through with this, I was gonna do it MY way, and no moronic therapist was going to stop me.  
  
She didn't try. She just sighed, and put her 'I'm-your-therapist-and-I- really-give-a-shit-about-your-problems' look on. "So your mom tells me you've been having problems lately? Would you like to tell me what KIND of problems?"  
  
I shot her a dirty look. "Don't take me for an idiot. I know you already KNOW why I'm here. And it CERTAINLY isn't for your intriguing conversation." Gods, I hate therapists.  
  
"I'm sensing some hostility here."  
  
"Well, hot damn. You just don't miss a beat, do ya?" Like I said, childish. But hey, it's not like I'm here of my own free will.  
  
Another sigh. Wow. Two, and it hadn't even been five minutes yet. I was on a roll. "Okay, fine. According to your files... You attempted suicide a few months ago, is that correct?"  
  
"You know it is."  
  
"Right. Now, tell me, Colt. How did that make you feel?"  
  
I blinked. "How did WHAT make me feel? Almost DYING?" She wasn't very intelligent... Even for a therapist.  
  
"Right. Moving on. Your friend... what's her name? Annie?"  
  
"Amy." I didn't offer anything else.  
  
"Right. Amy. She found you, right? Got you to the hospital just in time to hook you up to life support, isn't that correct?"  
  
"I suppose." Non-responsive anyone?  
  
"And you were in a coma for..." She checked her files, and I couldn't help but smirk. Someone hadn't been doing all of her homework, apparently. "...two months. And when you came out of it, you were spouting some nonsense about Hyrune?"  
  
"HyruLE. It's Hyrule." This was getting old, fast.  
  
"Right. Do you understand why you're here, then?"  
  
I nodded. I had been practicing this line since yesterday, when my mother informed me that I was signed up for therapy, no ifs, ands, or buts. "Because I have delusions of grandeur brought on by the stress of work, the delayed reaction to the death of my twin brother, and the heartbreak of losing my ex?" Did they actually expect me to believe this stuff? But she just nodded.  
  
"You came to, a month ago, and started babbling about a fantastical place no one has ever been. I like to call what you have 'Oz Syndrome'. Did you ever see that movie?"  
  
"I read the book. It was better." I still didn't want to talk to her. She was DEFINITELY getting on my nerves.  
  
"So you like reading? Cool! Remind me, when we finish, I have a book I think you'd like. Don't let me forget." Ah. Buying my cooperation, huh? Well... I'm game. "Yes, it was a book. But do you remember what happens?"  
  
"She hits her head and imagines that she's traveled to another world?" It wasn't hard to see where she was going with this.  
  
"Exactly! She made up a world, and had an adventure."  
  
"Um... Actually, she didn't make it up, since she, and several OTHER characters visited Oz several times afterward, without the requirement of bumping heads." I smiled sweetly, and shifted. My foot was falling asleep, but I wasn't going to tell HER that.  
  
"Whatever. Do you think you can relay the tale of what happened to you while you were in Hylure?"  
  
"HyRULE!" I sighed. What harm could it do, after all? So, I launched into the tale of my adventures. "It was raining..."  
  
****  
  
"...And I didn't even notice the rain." The look on her face shifted from surprise to outright awe. Apparently my story was more detailed than your average delusion. Honestly, I felt better now that the story was all told, give or take a few minor details, such as the duet in the field and other things I had felt were too personal to bring up. I hadn't even given the full details to my mom. I figured some details of the story were better left unsaid. "Well? Analyze me, doc."  
  
She just shook her head. "Such a grand scale delusion... You have some imagination, Colt." I scowled at her. The fairy ocarina I had found in my bag after my return home lay forgotten on the floor, a useful prop when the time had come, but now... Even with that proof, she refused to see. Even with the scar I had received. The triforce burned into my hand by the Oracle of Power. Then, suddenly, the words the old man had spoken on the bus came back to me. 'They go about their insig'nif'cant lives not knowing, refusing to see what you understand all to well.'  
  
I sighed. I knew how to get out of this, and it made my stomach twist. I didn't like lying, not after what happened the LAST time, but in this case... "Okay, you got me. The story is all bullshit. I made it up. The coma was just a coincidence, but it was timed perfectly. I had this in the works for a while." I felt like shit, but if I didn't do this, I would be in therapy for the rest of my life while they tried to analyze and deconstruct me. No thank you.  
  
To my amazement, she didn't look at all surprised. "This seemed like a definite cry for help to me." She smiled knowingly. I wanted to smack her. I wanted to shout in her face. I wanted to call her a lying bitch and to point out that she didn't know her butt crack from her forehead. Instead, I smiled, and nodded.  
  
"You got me." I put on my best apologetic look. "I'm sorry. Next time, I'll be sure to talk to someone when I have a problem, instead of fabricating elaborate tales. Now, if you'll excuse me, my boyfriend Bryant and I are meeting for dinner."  
  
She nodded, and handed me her card. "If you ever have a problem, just call. Any time, day or night. Especially if you feel like hurting yourself." I nodded, but it was halfhearted. I'd heard the same line time and time again, and didn't actually believe that she gave a damn at all.  
  
"You promised me a book?" I added, hopefully. Something to take my mind off the horrendous lie I had just told. After all, lying is bad, but panhandling is okay by me.  
  
"Right!" She rummaged through her drawer for a minute, before surfacing with a small, leather-bound book. "I had to get it rebound, since I've read it so much, the cover fell off. But you can go ahead and keep it. I know it front-to-back anyway." She tossed the battered book to me and I caught it. I stuck it in my pocket, before standing and offering my hand.  
  
"It was nice meeting you, Dr. Nostradom." That name still amused me, considering she had NO clue.  
  
"No more lies, okay, Colt?"  
  
I forced myself to nod. After all, I HAD told a lie... Just not the one she THOUGHT I told. We walked out to the waiting room, where her next victim sat flipping through the magazines. Not bothering with farewells, I dashed out the door. It wasn't until I stood in the elevator descending back to the lobby that I recalled the book in my pocket. I pulled it out and studied the timeworn cover. "The Legend of Zelda" it proclaimed, in bold, shining letters. Under it, in smaller, but no less brilliant, letters, "The Flame of Eternity" was written. I hadn't realized they'd written a book. Ironic, though, that I'd been given this by my therapist. ~Ex-therapist~, I reminded myself. I turned to the first page and began to read. I had the feeling it would be a long night.  
  
A/N: No therapists were harmed in the writing of this fic. 


	2. Into the Night

Author's Note: Again with the depression. But hey, as long as I keep plunking out stories, it's all good, right?  
  
Chapter 2: Into the Night  
  
"You seem distracted." Bryant frowned at me over his glass of beer. I'd never been a fan of drinking, but since neither of us were driving, I let it go. "What's the matter?"  
  
I glanced at him, briefly, before chasing the peas across my plate with my fork. We were in the kitchen of his apartment, having dinner. Chicken, mashed potatoes and peas. Bryant was an excellent cook, a quality he attributes to living on his own since he ran away from home at sixteen. But at the moment, my mind was elsewhere. Like a thousand imaginary miles elsewhere.  
  
"Colt?" He reached across the small table, putting his hand over mine. We'd only been seeing each other for about a month, ever since he met me with flowers outside the hospital, a few days after I woke up. He was one of two people who believed me about Hyrule. The other was my best friend Amy. Well, at least they SAID they believed me. I don't think I'll ever be a hundred percent sure if they did or not. And I loved him. It wasn't about Lance anymore. For once in my life, it was about me, and MY happiness.  
  
"Sorry... I was just... thinking."  
  
He just nodded silently. He understood, or at least pretended to. It was a part of my life that he didn't have access to; the one thing he couldn't share with me, however much he might like to. I felt a bit of pity swell up. I loved him with all my heart, but... At the same time, I missed Hyrule. I missed Princess Zelda, and Impa. The Great Deku Tree, and the Kokiri children. And most of all, I missed the Hero of Time himself.  
  
He gave me another minute or so, then stood, sweeping our plates off into the sink. "Dessert?" He winked at me, and I offered a sly grin in return.  
  
"Pervert." He scolded, and pulled open the freezer to reveal a carton of ice cream, and a cake. I frowned at him, and he laughed. "You forgot, huh? I can understand, I guess. You're 19 today, remember?" I almost choked. I HAD forgotten. With all the excitement, and the therapist, my birthday had completely slipped my mind.  
  
"Roger and Zeke aren't going to be happy they missed this, you know." My brothers were big fans of cake. I'm sure they wouldn't have minded missing my birthday, though. Bryant just shrugged. After all, what did he care about my siblings? He was dating ME, not them.  
  
The cake itself was marble, which is my favorite. But it said "Happy Birthday, Kole" in bright pink letters. I arched an eyebrow at Bryant, who shrugged. "I spelled it for them. I guess they weren't listening." He frowned down at the frosting.  
  
I laughed. "I can be Kole for tonight, if you want."  
  
"AFTER dessert." But he wasn't frowning anymore. "Make a wish."  
  
I blew out the candle, and wished with all my might. Glancing over at Bryant, I sighed in mock disgust. "It didn't work. You're still here." He grunted, trying to look insulted, but it wasn't long before the gales of laughter overcame us both. "Now... About my birthday present?" I said, grabbing his hand. He followed me into the bedroom, cake forgotten.  
  
*~*~*  
  
I woke to the soft sound of Bryant's snoring. Kissing his forehead gently, I slipped out of bed, and pulled on a pair of boxers and a ratty t-shirt. It took me a moment of fishing through my backpack, but I finally found what I was looking for. I ran my hand across the cover of the battered book, and sighed. The truth was, I'd only been half-kidding when I had said my wish hadn't come true. I'd wished that I could see Link again. If only for a moment.  
  
I ran my hand through my hair, remembering how much trouble I had gotten into simply because I was a blonde. Being mistaken for a Hylian warrior definitely made for an interesting vacation.  
  
Outside, lightning flashed, illuminating the slumbering form of my boyfriend. The blanket had shifted while we slept, so I walked over and tugged it back into place. Bryant stirred for a moment, muttering something unintelligible, and sank back into whatever he was dreaming of.  
  
The rain outside splashed against the window, sending strange shadows streaking across the opposite wall. The wind whistled, howling in muted rage at the indignity of being shut out. It was the kind of night where I was afraid to look out the window, because someone just might be looking back. My interest in reading disipated, and I tossed the book across the room. Instead, I crawled back into bed, and pressed against Bryant's back, trying to keep warm. Exhausted as I was, I was asleep before I hit the pillow.  
  
*~*~*  
  
I woke alone, shivering. Someone had left the window open, and, while the rain had stopped, the wind was still crying outside. "Bryant?" My voice sounded flat, as if the sound were afraid to travel much farther than my mouth. It did nothing to improve the situation. "Bryant?" There was no answer. Not that I expected on, really. It's just something that you do when you're alone... The wind snarled outside, and I moved to the window to shut it. Glancing out, I froze.  
  
I wasn't staring out at Reseda Blvd. Instead, I found myself gazing out at the fresh, untarnished landscape of what was surely the Lost Woods in Hyrule. A passing Moblin confirmed my suspicion. But it was wrong. Different somehow. It was the Lost Woods... but at the same time, it seemed... older.  
  
It was then I realized I was dreaming. The brand on my hand began to itch, as did the scorpion tattoo on my shoulder, and the scars down my arms. They glistened in the darkness, illuminated with ethereal light, red, blue and green respectively.  
  
From the corner, where I had discarded it, the book blew open, its pages fluttering in the wind, despite the shut window. In the middle of the room, a shadow coalesed, and began to laugh.  
  
The wind buffeted me, invading me. And I screamed.  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Colt! Colt, wake up!" Bryant was there, shaking me awake. He was still naked, wrapped in the blanket of his bed, concern battling fatigue on his face. "It was just a dream, babe. Just a dream." Just a dream. I whimpered into his shoulder, needing to be held. He ran his hand through my hair, comforting me as a mother might comfort her child. Another time, I would have protested, but now... It felt good, and I felt safe. "Maybe I should take you home?"  
  
"No! I don't want to be alone..." Co-dependence, anyone? His face contorted with the unasked question. It was not the first nightmare I'd had since my return, but... It was the first time I'd woken up screaming since that very first night. Cradled in Bryant's arms, I soon fell asleep. I didn't dream again that night. 


	3. Return to Oz

A/N: I noticed an inconsistency between what I've decided will happen in this story, and a reference made in Lies and Faerytales. I'll fix the reference when I write the next chapter to that story. And yes, this is the "Colt retells his life story" section of our program, for those of us who care. That means I have to go through my notes and find everything I wrote down about Colt, so I don't contradict myself. I always hate doing that.  
  
Chapter 3: Return to Oz  
  
I woke that morning to discover the bed empty. It was hardly a surprise, since Bryant was up every day promptly at six, and out the door to go surfing. Ironically, my house was miles closer to the beach than his apartment, but he made due with what he could afford. After all, houses in Malibu don't come cheap. I won't pretend to understand his obsession with surfing, but I will say it gave him a great tan. For about the thousandth time since we'd started dating each other "exclusively," I reflected on how lucky I was.  
  
I hadn't had much in the way of love in my life for the first sixteen or so years. My father left when I was three, and my mother buried herself in her work, trying to ignore the hole his departure created in her heart. Sure, I can understand that now, but then? How do you explain to a three year old that Mommy doesn't love him anymore? At six, my mom remarried. I can remember confiding in Lance, my twin brother, that I hoped that meant things were going back to normal. I was sorely disappointed.  
  
Dan barely waited until it was official before he started smacking us around. Me, mainly, with a bit of Lance on the side, and then my elder brother Roger, if the fancy struck him. But mostly, I was the one with the target painted around my back. Why? I don't know. Perhaps because I wasn't as fast, or as strong as the other kids in kindergarten. Or because I didn't want to fight back when the other kids pushed me in the mud. I didn't have to. Lance was always there, by my side, to defend me.  
  
Lance. My twin. He was my better half. We were identical twins, sort of. We were mirror images of each other. He was left handed, I was not. His hair parted to the right, mine parted to the left. Dimples, birth marks... Exact opposites. And it didn't stop at appearance. He was bold, and outspoken, while I was a quiet wallflower. He was the energetic sports type, while I preferred a good book or a video game. All my friends in high school liked me because it was the requirement to be friends with him. And I didn't mind. We did everything together. He was my muscle, I was his brains. Until it all came crashing down around my ears. He died for my mistake. But his death sent Dan to jail for manslaughter one, so I guess it wasn't all in vain. I miss him still, three years later, and I suppose I always will, but... I won't do anything stupid. Not anymore.  
  
I tried that, once. Four months ago, actually. I'd spent two months in a coma, another month recovering, and this last month free. This last wonderful month.  
  
I met Bryant at the Starbucks where I work. He'd been the unfortunate soul I flipped out on when I tried to commit suicide. According to Amy, my best friend, and fellow coworker, he'd come to the hospital twice a week, while I was in a coma. I wasn't allowed visitors after I woke up, other than family -- Roger came to see me every day, but my mom stopped by all of twice, color me surprised -- so he'd had to wait until Amy got word of my release. And he met me outside the hospital doors. With flowers. If I'd known all it would take to get a guy is to slice up my wrists, I'd have done it sooner.  
  
I was shaken from my reverie by the sound of keys in the door. *I must have been asleep longer than I thought...* Not that I minded. I'm not a morning person.  
  
The door opened, and Bryant's voice drifted through the hall to the bedroom. "Colt? Are you up?"  
  
I snorted. "Nope." What kind of a question was that?  
  
He laughed. "Well, hurry up. You're going to be late." Today was my first day back at work since I went to the hospital. Joy. Fortunately -- though the actual fortune of it is debatable -- they hadn't fired me when I took four months medical leave. I think California law prohibits it, or something. All I know is that I still had a job, working for a boss I was not overly fond of. I'd almost wished they'd canned me, so I would get up off my lazy ass and find something more suitable. Ha. Like that'd happen. Some people are just allergic to actual work. I was among them.  
  
"Would that be such a crime?" He laughed again, and peered around the doorjamb. I couldn't help but grin at him.  
  
"C'mon, Colt. Back on the horse." He would have gotten away with it, if he hadn't laughed.  
  
I glared at him. "Horse puns get you a night on the couch, remember?" Believe me, I've heard all the horse jokes a guy could stand. That, and the porn company. Let's just say my school career was...interesting.  
  
Bryant grinned at me sheepishly. I couldn't help but smile back. Physically, he was my opposite, dark to my light. His dark brown hair was cut short, and brown eyes stared back at me from a tanned face. He was mostly angles, harsh in a handsome way. It made my heart ache to look at him. "My apartment, remember? If anyone gets the couch, it's gonna be you, bro." I shrugged. It wouldn't be the first time I'd crashed on someone else's couch.  
  
"I'll meet you in the car." I said, grabbing my backpack. Without waiting to see if he was following, I dashed out the door.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Work sucked. But that's par for the course. I've yet to have one day where I didn't want to smack some customer or another. Someone who orders an iced drink when they want a blended, or asks for whip cream and then denies it later. Of course, who's fault is all of that? Mine. The register guy. Because the public-at-large is infallible. It's not the fact that they're morons who don't know what the hell they're talking about. Oh, no. It's cause I don't know how to do my job. Yep. At least, that's what they say.  
  
Fortune had smiled on me today, as Bryant and I both had shifts that ended at approximately the same time. Which means I got a ride home. Funny how, though technically, I still live with my mom, I think of his apartment as home. I guess it just goes to show that home actually IS where the heart is. I spent three or four nights a week at Bryant's apartment. So maybe we were moving a little fast. Why not? You only live once, after all.  
  
Entering the apartment, I threw my bag on the floor, before pulling my mocha-stained shirt over my head. Normally, I like to change before I leave Starbucks, but I was worn to the bone today, and wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. Pulling on a clean shirt, I slumped into a chair and waited for Bryant. That was when I heard it.  
  
It started as a faint buzz in the back of my head, but as I concentrated on it, I started to make out words.  
  
~Now, in our time of Peril, we call upon the One.~  
  
I frowned. It wasn't my thought. Not a good sign.  
  
~We invoke the power of the Goddesses.~  
  
~Din, Goddess of Power.~  
  
The burn on the palm of my hand began to glow bright red.  
  
~ Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom.~  
  
From beneath the cloth of my sleeve, I could see my tattoo had begun to shine blue.  
  
~Farore, Goddess of Courage~  
  
My scars began to brighten, a green light in the darkness.  
  
~We request thy blessings!~  
  
Bryant chose this moment to enter. He took one look at me, lit up like a Christmas tree, and gasped. If I hadn't been scared shitless, I'd have smirked. If he didn't believe me before, he sure as hell did now.  
  
~ Send us the Champion to protect the world.~  
  
From the corner, where I had discarded it, the book blew open, its pages fluttering in the wind. Everything else in the room was still. Faster, and faster, until I was sure the pages would rip from the bindings. All the while, the light shining from my body grew to almost blinding levels.  
  
"Colt!" Bryant screamed, fighting to reach my side. The book flew through the air, its pages still whipping in the wind. It came to the middle of the room, and fell with a loud thud. The light emitting from my arms made me squint. In the middle of the floor, surrounding the book, a figure etched in light formed. My heart stopped when I realized what it was. It was the Triforce.  
  
~Bring us the Hope of all Humanity!~  
  
The light from my scars went out, suddenly, and I felt my body take a step towards the triangle on the carpet. It was as though I were a marionette, under the control of some grand puppetmaster. Every instinct in my body screamed for me to get away, to run as fast as I could manage, but my legs refused to obey. My feet were about to touch the Golden Power when I was violently shoved to the side. From the corner of my eye, I saw Bryant, screaming, as the Triforce enveloped him in golden light, lifting him from the floor. I struggled to my feet, calling his name.  
  
~We beseech thee!~  
  
The light vanished, and, along with it, Bryant. 


	4. Careful What You Wish For

  
  
Chapter 4: Careful What You Wish For   
  
Tears, hot and salty, mingled with the steam and water, coursing down with painful regularity on my bare skin. I lay in the shower, curled in a ball, smallest possible target against a world that had proven time and again to be malicious. "You fucking moron!" I whimpered, unable to muster the energy to shout. I wanted to, though. I wanted to scream, to yell, to punish someone for the fucking injustice that had just taken place. How was I supposed to go back to living a normal life now? Bryant was gone, swallowed into the abyss that was Hyrule. Which meant not only was I alone, but I would have to explain his absence to the cops. Everyone knew we were an item...  
  
Outside, in the den, Bryant's phone began to ring. I ignored it. I didn't want to talk to anyone anyway.  
  
And then suddenly, I had it. If killing myself had sent me there once... Maybe it would again. I began searching through Bryant's things, looking for a razor. Only, it didn't take me long to realize that while, yes, it MIGHT work, if it didn't, I'd be fucked. Royally. And Bryant would still be trapped in Hyrule. Or wherever he was.  
  
Wiping away the remaining tears, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I needed to help him. I needed to find a way back to Hyrule, and bring him back. But how? It wasn't as though I had any conveniently magical wardrobes handy. And since the last path I'd taken was closed to me now, as far as I knew, I'd need to find some other way.  
  
But why not the way Bryant got in? I'd only used the Oracles once, to my knowledge, back in the Palace, but why shouldn't they work on Earth as well? Besides, what did I have to lose?  
  
I got dressed quickly, and dashed out into the living room. The book lay discarded on the floor, feigning innocence. Skirting around it, as though it were a poisonous snake, I ran into the kitchen and grabbed three of the left over birthday candles. Red, blue, and green. I didn't know whether I really needed them, but I figured a little ceremony never hurt anyone.   
  
In the other room, the phone began to ring again. Growling in disgust, I vaulted the couch and grabbed it. "I haven't got time for this. Call back later." And I slammed the phone back on the cradle. If I was lucky, I wouldn't BE here later, so it didn't matter. And it wasn't exactly a lie, either. So, that was all okay. Obviously, whoever was on the other line thought it was important, because the phone began to ring again. "I HAVEN'T got the time for this!" I screamed into the phone, and pulled the cord from the wall. Panting, I realized what I had just done, and flushed. Good thing no one was around to see it.  
  
After I'd set up the candles around the book, I flicked my lighter. Once, twice, three times, and everything was ready. Now, for the ceremony. I suppose the words didn't really matter, but... It would help my concentration, and I needed every bit I could get.  
  
"In my time of need, I call on the Three" It was kind of lame, sure, but whatever. Beggars and choosers, right?  
  
"I invoke the Power of the Oracles!"  
  
"The Oracle of Wisdom, Guardian of the Past!" My tattoo began to glow, and the blue candle flickered out. Strangely, there was an itch in the back of my skull, a sense of being watched... Coming from the hallway outside.  
  
"The Oracle of Power, Guardian of the Present!" The triangular brand on my hand began to shimmer, and the red candle extinguished. All the while, the presence got closer. There was a knock on the door of the apartment. _Not now... I don't have time for this... _  
  
"The Oracle of Courage, Guardian of the Future!" And the scars began to shine, and out went the green candle. It occurred to me, rather belatedly, that I was parodying the words I'd heard in my head when Bryant had disappeared. It seemed appropriate, after all.  
  
"Colt!" Someone shouted, muffled through the door. "Colt, what are you doing?" The voice was familiar, but I was too far along in the spell to stop now, without catastrophic side effects.   
  
"I demand your power!" The book's pages fluttered in an imaginary wind. Whatever I was doing, it was working. The pounding on the door grew more insistent, and the voice called my name, it's familiarity taunting me from behind a screen of desperation.   
  
"Send me to Hyrule!" Faster and faster, louder, and more insistent. There was a crash, but I couldn't turn my head. The Oracles' power had taken control.   
  
"Colt... No! I know what you're doing, but you can't... You CAN'T!"  
  
"Grant me the Power to rescue those I love!" As before, the lights went out, and the triforce etched itself on the floor. Not hesitating, I started forward, the final words of the spell leaping to my lips. The figure launched itself at me, grabbing onto my leg, and trying to restrain me. But between the spell's compulsion, and my desire, I dragged myself onward.  
  
"I command you!" The light enveloped me, and before the world tore asunder, I realized two things. One, I had taken my unwanted guest with me.  
  
And two... It was Riley.  
  
Author's Note: Yay for Random Character Insertion. Except, I've decided this story is going to be similar to Star Ocean, Second Story. Two points of view, two stories. For the other half, see the new story, Legend of Zelda: Fountain of Destiny 


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